The Fockele Garden Co., based in Gainesville, Ga., designed and built a sensory garden at the Northeast Georgia Speech Center in Gainesville. The garden stimulates each of the five senses: sound, smell, site, touch and taste. The sensory garden is designed to give the Speech Center another way of assisting students with speech and hearing developmental issues.
“Sensory gardens engage you in all elements of the garden,” said Julie Evans, The Fockele Garden Co. co-owner. “Students can feel plants with different textures, see bright colors, and smell the herbs and flowers.“
The garden features edible plants in child-size planters, along with sound tubes, a steel drum, a musical fence and a pebble harp. The idea is to give the students a variety of sound, smell and touch options at an accessible size for preschoolers.
The Northeast Georgia Speech Center opened in 1970 to provide speech, language and hearing services for those with communication disabilities. The focus since the early 1990s has been working with preschoolers to prepare them to be successful in the school environment.
Photo: Fockele Garden Co.
